Fall-board and music-desk.



No. 67l,234. Patented Apr. 2, l 90l. c. r. BEEPS.

FALL BOARD AND MUSIC DESK.

(Application filed Oct. 11. 1900.) (No Model.) I 2 Shank-Sheet I.

WITNESSES: INVENTOI? 6Zar JIfia a Patented Apr. 2, I90l. C. F; KEEPS. FALL BOARD AND MUSIC DESK.

2 Shcets-$hoot 2.

(Ajapliclfion filo Oct. 11, 1900.) (No Model.)

CHARLES F. KEEPS, Oil ALBANY, NEW YORK.

FALL BQARD AN SPIEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent 5310. 671,234, dated April 2, 1901.

Application filed October 11, 1900. serial No. 32,726- lli'o model.)

To all whom it may concern: and rearward then the other section A, owing Beitknown thatLOHARLEs F.REEPs,acitito the hinges B, is carried real-wardly and zen of the United States, and a resident of Aldownwardly, being guided in its downward bany, in the county of Albany and State of movement by the link G, as will be readily 5 New York,haveinvented a new and Improved understood by reference to the dotted lines Fall-Board and Music-Desk, of which the folshown in Fig. l. The inner end of the sec lowing is a full, clear, and exact. description. tion A when moving into an open position The invention relates to pianos, organs,and engages one end of a lever l, fulcruined to the like musical instruments; and its object is to casing or other fixed part, said lever I 1101-- I0 provide a new and improved fallboard and mally resting against the back at the lower music-desk which is simple and durable in end of the music desk or rack J, fulorumed construction, noiseless in operation, adapted at its sides at J on the piano-casing. When to fold very compactly to allow the music the section A moves into an open position, it desk .or rack to come close to the keys, arimparts a swinging motion to the lever I, so

15 ranged to automatically move the music-desk that the latter swings the music desk or rack into an active position-upon opening the fall- J into an inclined position to receive and board, and to allow the music-desk to return properly supportthe music. (See dotted lines to a normal closed position upon closing the in Fig. 1.) The free end of the section A fall-board, the latter when open giving a perwhen in an open position abuts against the 20 former unobstructed access to the keys of the front of the part 0, the section A being inkeyboard. clined rearwardly and upwardly, so as to give The invention consists of novel features free access to the keys of the keyboard to perand parts and combinations of the same, as mit the performer to properly manipulate the 5 will be fully described hereinafter and then keys.

25 pointed out in the claims. When it is desired to close the fall-board,

A practical embodiment of the invention is the operator takes hold of the free end of the represented in the accompanying drawings, section A and swings the latter forward and forminga part of this specification, in which downward and in doing so swings the other similar characters of reference indicate corsection A back to its former position owing o responding parts in all the views. to the hinges B and the links G. Then the Figure 1 is a cross-section of the improvesection A moves out of engagement with the ment as applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional side lever I, then the latter and the music desk or elevation of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. rack J return to their former normal position 8 l, and Fig. 3isa transverse section of a modiby their own gravity. The section A of the 3 5 lied form of the improvement. fall-board has an extension A in a rearward The fall-board consists of sections A A, direction beyond the hinges B, and this exconnected with each other by hinges E, the tension'forms a key-guard for preventing the lower end of the section A being adapted to keys from getting off their front pins when rest on the front 0 of the piano-casing and the piano is in transportation and the fall- 0 the upper end of the section A extending unboard is in an open position.

der the,keyboard-top O when the fall-board As illustrated in Fig. 3, a separate keyis in a closed position, as shown in full lines guard K may be employed, extending longiin Fig. 1. The end of the section A connected tudinally over the keys and adapted to form 5 U with the hinges.B is provided with downa rest for the hinged end of the section A 5 wardly and rearwardly extending arms D, when the fall-board is in an open position, as

pivoted at E to a key-block F, fastened by plainly shown in Fig. 9. This key-guard K screws or other means to the piano-casing. is fastened at its ends by screws or other The free end of the section A is connected means on the key-block F, and the key-guard 1o o with the upper ends of links G, extending is supported between the key-sections by 50 downwardly and pivoted at H to the keymetal or wooden supports L, resting at their block F,so that when the operator takes hold lower ends on the key-bottom or key-frame, of the section A and swings the same upward nuts L screwing on the supports, so as to allow of adjusting the key-guard vertically to suit the position of the keys. The fallboard in this case is made in sections A A, connected with each other by hinges B, but Without an extension on the section A The section A is hung on arms D, pivoted at E, and the section A is hung on links G, pivoted at H. In operation the fall-board is opened and closed the same as above described in reference to Fig. l, and the music desk or rack is actuated from the section A by the latter actuating a lever I, engaging the rack J Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A piano or like musical instrument having'a fall-board made in two sections, the rear section being hinged to the upper face of the front section a short distance from its inner end, downwardly-curved arms secured to the inner end of the front section and pivoted to a fixed part of the casingin rearof the inner end of said section, and links having their upper ends pivoted to the under surface of the rear section a short distance from the inner end thereof, the other ends of the links being pivoted below the inner end of the rear section, substantially as described.

2. In a piano or like musical instrun'1ent,the combination with a pivoted music-rack, of a pivoted lever adapted to engage with one end the rack to swing it on its pivots, and a fallboard made in two sections hinged together, the front section being hinged to a fixed part of the casing and the rear section pivotally connected with the upper end of links, the lower ends of which are pivoted below the said rear section, the said section being adapted to engage the other end of the said lever with its free end when the fall-board is opened, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a piano or like musical instrument,the combination with a pivoted music-rack, of a pivoted curved lever adapted to engage with one end the said rack, a fall-board made in two sections hinged together, downwardly and rearwardly extending arms secured to the front section and pivoted to a fixed part, and links having their upper ends pivoted to the under surface of the rear section and their lower ends pivoted to a fixed part below the said section, the free end of the said rearsection being adapted to engage the other end of the said lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. REEPS.

Witnesses:

J. F. HARRIS, W. M. BROWN. 

